1. Session 3 June 20111 Key Features of a Solution Oriented Conversation Session 3

2. Session 3 June 20112 Recap Listen, accept, acknowledge Agree the core message Identify skills and strengths Look for exceptions Build on what works Highlight progress Envisage a better future What techniques have you tried at work?

3. Session 3 June 20113 Elements of a Solution Oriented Conversation solution oriented conversations building on strengths pre meeting change goal setting copingscaling preferred future exceptions problem free talk

4. Session 3 June 20114 Short guide to being solution oriented Listen and acknowledge problem Look for pre-meeting change and coping skills Look for strengths, skills and resources through problem-free talk Look for exceptions Identify those who would notice change Envisage a preferred future Use scaling to identify goals and monitor progress

5. Session 3 June 20115 Pre-meeting change Discuss any positive changes which have already happened prior to the meeting/conversation These emphasise the power of the person to take charge of his/her own life

6. Session 3 June 20116 Problem-free talk and strength and skills identification Creates a context of competence The person is seen as more than the problem You hear strengths and resources that can be used later in the conversation

7. Session 3 June 20117 Problem-free talk and strength and skills identification - questions What are you good at? What are your hobbies and interests? That must involve the skill of…. Who knows you’ve got that skill? What is going ok in your life just now? What would your friends say you were good at?

8. Session 3 June 20118 ACTIVITY – problem free talk and strengths and skills identification Using the previous questions work in pairs to identify one another’s skills and strengths.

9. Session 3 June 20119 Coping Demonstrates the listener's understanding when the person feels overwhelmed Invites the person to look at what they are already doing which is useful Challenges any sense of helplessness or hopelessness.

10. Session 3 June 201110 Coping - questions That situation sounds pretty overwhelming, how do you cope? It sounds like you are having a hard time, what are you doing to cope? What are you doing that is stopping the situation from getting worse? Can you tell me about a time when you were able to cope well? How did you do that? Could you do any of that now?

11. Session 3 June 201111 Reframing A technique that finds new and positive ways to view problem behaviour by looking at the characteristics which might be used to advantage Example: Bossiness reframed can be viewed as having some leadership potential if utilised in the correct manner.

12. Session 3 June 201112 ACTIVITY In pairs/threes – think of some more examples of reframing and feed back to the group.

13. Session 3 June 201113 Finding Exceptions Introduces the idea that a problem may only happen in a specific set of circumstances Reminds the person of a time when they did manage and draws out part of a solution Looks for details of things working well or a time when the problem doesn’t happen or happens less

14. Session 3 June 201114 Finding Exceptions - questions Tell me about a time when the problem doesn’t happen? What are you doing differently when you are standing up to the problem? When was the last time things were even a little better? What was different then? When does this problem not exist?

15. Session 3 June 201115 Giving Meaning to What Lies Behind Exceptions What are you doing differently? What are others doing differently? What needs to happen to make that occur again? What needs to happen to make that occur more often?

16. Session 3 June 201116 ACTIVITY In pairs take turns to ask and answer these questions using your own “problem”. Tell me about a time when the problem doesn’t happen? What are you doing differently when you are standing up to the problem? When was the last time things were even a little better? What was different then? What are others doing differently? What needs to happen to make that occur again? What needs to happen to make that occur more often?

17. Session 3 June 201117 Preferred Future Instils hope Clarifies goals e.g. video picture Liberates the imagination Enables a positive future to become more familiar and possible

18. Session 3 June 201118 Preferred Future Focusing on the future in detail increases the likelihood of achievement Opens multiple potential ways forward Constructs potential positive cycles

19. Session 3 June 201119 The Future The future is not a result of choices among paths offered by the present but a place created first in the mind and will, and next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to but one we are creating. John Schaar University of Santa Clara

20. Session 3 June 201120 Preferred Future - questions Suppose it is in a month’s time and things are as you would want them to be, what would you be doing? What would others notice? How would they respond? Let’s imagine tomorrow is a good day for you in school, what would you be doing differently?

21. Session 3 June 201121 Preferred Future - questions Tomorrow during English you are at your best, how will you know? Next time you have the problem you handle things better, how will you know? This year turns out to be really good at school, at the end of the year how will you know?

22. Session 3 June 201122 Activity – preferred future Next time you have the problem you handle things better, how will you know? This year turns out to be really good at work, at the end of the year how will you know?

23. Session 3 June 201123 Goal Identification Where does the person want to go and what is the quickest way of getting there? Goals should be positively worded Goals should be observable and measurable Goals should be personal Goals should let the person know when success has been achieved

24. Session 3 June 201124 Goal Identification- questions How will you know it has been worth it? What will others see you doing differently? What will be different when things are going better? What would need to happen for you to feel better about…? What will you be doing instead? If things were to get just a little bit better over the next couple of weeks what do you think you might be doing differently?

25. Session 3 June 201125 Miracle Question Suppose when you go home tonight, you go to bed and go to sleep. While you are asleep, a miracle happens and all your problems are gone, but because you are sleeping you don’t know that a miracle has happened. When you waken up in the morning, what would be the first small sign that a miracle has happened?

26. Session 3 June 201126 Expanding the Miracle What would be the first sign? How will you know; what will be different? What will you be doing that is different? What would you be doing instead? How would that make things different? What would your friends and/or family notice that would be different What would be different about the way you look/walk/talk…? What else?

27. Session 3 June 201127 ACTIVITY Miracle Question – Goal Identification Suppose when you go home tonight, you go to bed and go to sleep. While you are asleep, a miracle happens and all your problems are gone, but because you are sleeping you don’t know that a miracle has happened. When you waken up in the morning, what would be the first small sign that a miracle has happened? What would be the first sign? How will you know; what will be different? What will you be doing that is different? What would you be doing instead? How would that make things different? What would your friends and/or family notice that would be different? What would be different about the way you look/walk/talk…? What else?

28. Session 3 June 201128 Scaling Helps the person to notice change Helps the person to be more aware of their ability to take control of their situation Affirms what is right, what’s working and the person’s resources Identifies what the next steps could be

29. Session 3 June 201129 Scaling- questions On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst that things could ever be in your life, and 10 being how you want things to be, where are you today? On a scale of 1 to 10 how motivated are you to change? What would you settle for? How come you’re at x ? So what is it that you are doing that means you are at… rather than a 1?

30. Session 3 June 201130 ACTIVITY- scaling Person A Look back over the last few months in any aspect of your life or work. Identify a small sign of change which you are pleased about so far. Person B Support your partner in finding points for future development through the use of scaling questions

31. Session 3 June 201131 Steve de Shazer’s minimalist summary of the solution oriented approach If you want to know what someone wants ask the miracle question If you want to know what they can do about what they want, ask about exceptions If you want to know how they are getting on getting what they want ask a scaling question

32. Session 3 June 201132 For Next Time Have a solution oriented conversation with someone and take a note of how it went in your Learning Log. What went well? What needs more practice? Reflections… Next step …